Counting the Days that Count
by Sable-Reiver
Summary: IU Drabble Collection; Day-to-day moments from Nezumi and Shion's time together. Warning: May contain light swearing, and boy fluff.
1. It Finally Arrives

"Shion, what is that?"

The white haired boy blinked, not quite understanding the question. After all, wasn't it obvious?

"It's…a cat?"

"Why exactly is it here?"

Looking down at the feline in his arms, Shion couldn't help but feel slightly upset about the disdainful tone Nezumi used. He'd found the poor thing picking food out of a trash can in the Marketplace of West Block when he'd been out with Rikiga earlier. It had looked so helpless, so thin…he couldn't _not_ pick it up and bring it back. He'd thought that maybe they could keep, if only for a little while; feed it, help it get better. Somehow, he'd known Nezumi wouldn't like it; maybe it was alive, but they didn't need another mouth to feed and Shion was just going to get attached and it was just another burden to weigh them down. He'd heard it all before. But the malice, the insult laced in his companion's words…

"Well…it-" His explanation was cut off with a snort and a scoff.

"Get rid of it. There's no place here for a damn cat." And that was that. End of story.

Except it wasn't. Shion refused to believe that they couldn't spare a few scraps for the poor thing. And he was about to voice this when the cat started to squirm, tired of being held. Grimacing and forgetting about Nezumi's scorn for the moment, Shion focused on keeping a hold on the orange tabby. But it wasn't working. Thin, flexible, used to getting out of tight spots, the creature managed to twist its way out of the boy's hold, and bolted as soon as its paws hit the ground.

Chaos ensued.

The frenzy started when the tabby found Hamlet and Cravat perched on one of the bookshelves. Natural instinct kicked in, and the cat leapt. What it hadn't planned on was Shion diving to intercept it. Unfortunately, the boy hadn't caught it soon enough and ended up ramming into the bookshelf, causing the heavy structure to teeter precariously, books calling from their place. Second attempts were made, and the entire bookcase toppled, sending books, dust, rats, a cat and a boy flying, the latter mostly attempting to avoid being crushed.

When the dust finally settled, the small house looked to be a disaster area. Shion groaned, partially from the soreness already surfacing, and partially from knowing he'd be blamed, and then forced to clean everything up. As it was though, the cat was still his first priority. He'd barely started looking when a low, displeased yowl was heard from the other corner of the room, the only safe spot from the catastrophe.

Nezumi had the tabby gripped in one hand by the scruff of its neck, looking amused, bored, and annoyed all at the same time.

"Is this what you're looking for, _your majesty?_" He asked, more venom than usual sunken into his sarcastic title. Shion felt himself flush from embarrassment. The cat wasn't squirming in Nezumi's grip, just hanging there, occasionally expressing distaste with how it was being treated. The teen ignored it.

"Sorry Nezumi…" The words were soft and apologetic, Shion knowing he was just causing more trouble for the boy he already owed so much to. Nezumi just rolled his eyes, before moving closer to his companion and shoving the furry feline at him.

"Whatever. Just feed the stupid thing and get it out of here. You have a mess to clean up."

Shion's smile returned as he went to find scraps of food that wouldn't be eaten by either of them. The cat left fed, and Shion was bombarded by snarky, sarcastic comments from a lounging rat the rest of the evening.

-_Sable_


	2. Words Are All We Have

_All pronunciations can be found at the end_

If anything had been made exceedingly obvious to Shion since he had started living with Nezumi, it was that the other boy just loved mocking him. Not only that, but he also loved _challenging_ his white haired friend, and _then_ mocking him for whatever he got wrong. Particularly with anything related to words. So, Shion had taken it upon himself to read and memorize as much as he could. When Nezumi found out about it, he started quizzing the other, and it had since become almost a game to them.

"Naevus."

"A small mark on the skin; a birthmark; tumor of a small blood vessel."

Today, it was confusing words that generally went overlooked by the _entire_ population of No.6, and weren't even known in West Block. But of course, Nezumi knew all of them by heart, and after discovering one of his books containing such words, Shion thought his own knowledge to be coming along quite nicely.

"Grivoiserie." It was almost funny, how bored Nezumi sounded, citing these strange words out loud, like he used them in everyday conversation. Even got the French accent on this one right. Shion didn't even hesitate as he answered, paying more attention to the stew he was making than what was coming out of his mouth.

"Lewd and lascivious behaviour; a lewd act."

It went on like this for a while, the words and definitions varying in length as Shion continued to prepare their dinner.

"Velleity."

"The state of desiring faintly, or a slight wish."

"Jentacular."

"Pertaining to breakfast."

"Ultrafidian."

"Nezumi, the stew's done."

"Nihil ad rem."

"Irrelevant."

"Good, now answer my first one."

Shion bit his lip. He didn't know that one, but he didn't want to admit to it; lately, not knowing a word felt like he was letting Nezumi down, and the teen didn't want that. He already owed the other so much, but there was so little he did as thanks.

Lost in his thoughts, Shion didn't hear Nezumi get up and move over to him, until he was close enough to whisper and be heard, mouth right next to the boy's ear. It was the lips brushing lightly against his skin, and the resulting shiver, that caught Shion's attention.

"Your confidence in me is ultrafidian; it goes beyond faith."

The white haired boy felt himself blush, even as he turned to look at his companion. Maybe it was true; maybe his absolute assurance of Nezumi's actions did go beyond faith and into the realm of obsession, but could you really blame him? This teen had saved his life more than once, and they barely knew each other. Nezumi had kept him safe, fed him, offered him a place to call home, even got him contact with his mother.

Smirking, Nezumi turned and left to grab their bowls. "You should know that staring is rude, my girasole-eyed majesty. Didn't they teach you _any_ manners in that perfect city?"

It was as close to a compliment as he'd ever gotten out of the stubborn rat, and Shion wouldn't want it any other way.

-_Sable_

Naevus: nay-vus

Grivoiserie : gree-vwah-sree

Velleity: vuh-lee-i-tee

Jentacular: jen-ta-cue-lar

Ultrafidian: uhl-tra-fi-dee-an

Nihil Ad Rem: nee-hill ad rem

Girasole (an opal which turns red in the sunlight): gee-ra-so-lay


End file.
